Homelessness, State News, Supportive Housing

Connecticut DSS Releases FAQ on Medicaid Supportive Housing Benefit

September 05, 2019

Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)

The Connecticut Department of Social Services has posted an overview and FAQ on the Connecticut Housing Engagement and Support Services (CHESS) Initiative, which supports Connecticut residents served by Medicaid in accessing and retaining stable housing and meaningfully engaging with their health goals. Click here to view the FAQ.

This new supportive housing benefit was proposed by Governor Ned Lamont in his FY 2020-21 budget, and later included in the legislature's budget. The Partnership for Strong Communities and the Reaching Home Campaign have advocated for the implementation of a Medicaid supportive housing benefit for many years, and are proud partners on the statewide team implementing the new benefit.

DSS has created this webpage in order to help stakeholders better understand the process which led to the creation of the Medicaid supportive housing benefit, as well as the details of the benefit's implementation and coverage.

The new Medicaid benefit will provide supportive housing for up to 850 individuals experiencing homelessness whose Medicaid costs exceed $40,000 a year. According to DSS, this proposal "is expected to reduce total Medicaid expenditures by $2.7 million in FY 2020 and $13.9 million in FY 2021" when factoring in federal costs. These savings are expected to be achieved through a reduction in usage of emergency rooms, jails, and other institutional expenses.